Project Overview
Commodities
Practices
- Education and Training: extension, farmer to farmer, mentoring, networking, on-farm/ranch research, workshop
Proposal abstract:
North Carolina SARE (NC SARE) is a collaborative effort from North Carolina State University (NCSU) and North Carolina Agriculture & Technical State University (NCA&T). NC SARE promotes sustainable agriculture in North Carolina and supports sustainable agriculture trainings for agriculture professionals, which include North Carolina Cooperative Extension (NCCE) professionals and other educators defined by Southern SARE. NC SARE offers sustainable agriculture trainings primarily through competitive travel scholarships. These travel scholarships benefit agriculture professionals at all levels, as educators may apply for trainings that best suit their service regions/counties’ needs and resources, as well as their own level of expertise. Applications for technical and educational training in any area of sustainable agriculture can be submitted. Possible trainings may include, but not limited to, the annual Carolina Farm Stewardship Association’s Sustainable Agriculture Conference (CFSA SAC), the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) Workshops, the NC Choices’
Carolina Meat Conference/ Women Working in the Meat Industry (CMC/WIM), and NCSU and NCA&T Field Days. NC SARE also offers the NC SARE Outstanding Educator award, in partnership with CFSA. Ag. Professionals will be able to participate in workshops/trainings by registering directly with NCEE agents. NC SARE will be providing competitive funding to Extension Educators to provide a focused training to NCCE agents in a topic of sustainable agriculture. Guided by the Advisory Council, NC SARE has been a visible presence in NC sustainable agriculture and publicizing events through its website, the NC Extension portal, and providing sustainable agriculture educational materials, such as SARE publications, to trainers.
Project objectives from proposal:
NC SARE plans to:
• Provide travel scholarships to approximately 25 agents/personnel/farmers to attend the CFSA SAC, 12 agents/personnel/farmers to attend the Women Working in the Meat Industry,
• Provide 8-11 agents, personnel, and/or farmers to attend CEFS training events,
• Provide scholarships to 3-6 agents to attend other sustainable agriculture trainings that become available in NC,
• Provide funds for training materials for the NCA&T Small Farms Field Day
• Provide funds for a focused, Extension Specialist-led training for agents on a specialized aspect of sustainable agriculture.
We expect to offer travel scholarships and trainings to a total of approximately 48 agents, personnel, and/or mentor farmers. We expect 25-30 agents, personnel, and mentor farmers to participate in the NC Small Farms Field Days, which provides excellent training on production and marketing information for small farms, and the latest research applicable to small farms in NC.